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Screenshot from Syria march video

Just last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dismissed the exiled leadership of the Syrian opposition as “a bunch of out-of-touch exiles who should be replaced with a group more representative of the fighters on the ground.” That’s at least how The New York Times described her sentiment.

Clinton said the “opposition must include people from inside Syria and others who have a legitimate voice that needs to be heard.”

Ladies and gentleman, hear the voice of at least some of the members of the Syrian opposition “on the ground.”

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translated a video of a demonstration that took place in Syria’s capital Damascus in September and was posted only Monday on YouTube. The marchers unabashedly declare what they really want to gain by unseating President Bashar Assad and his secular Ba’ath regime. They want an Islamic caliphate, instituting the Koran as the law of the land, and AK-47s.

And for all that, they say: “To hell with freedom!”

Screen shot from Syria march video

This is MEMRI’s translation from Arabic of the chants belted out the demonstration. The video can be seen below.

Demonstrator: Oh Bashar, you traitor…Crowds: Oh Bashar, you traitor…Demonstrator: We want to instate the Koran.Crowds: We want to instate the Koran.Demonstrator: To hell with freedom…Crowds: To hell with freedom…Demonstrator: We want an Islamic caliphate.Crowds: We want an Islamic caliphate.Demonstrator: To hell with being peaceful…Crowds: To hell with being peaceful…Demonstrator: We want weapons and AK-47s.Crowds: We want weapons and AK-47s.Demonstrator: To hell with being peaceful…Crowds: To hell with being peaceful…Demonstrator: We want weapons and AK-47s.Crowds: We want weapons and AK-47s.

Hezbollah flag

These slogans promoting a militantly-defended caliphate are reminiscent of next-door-neighbor Hezbollah’s flag. The first letter of the Arabic word Allah – which looks like a lower-case L in English – is holding up the assault rifle.

Clinton said last week: “We also need an opposition that will be on record strongly resisting the efforts by extremists to hijack the Syrian revolution.” If this demonstration is any indication, it appears that is becoming harder to find.